Brent Council is running a consultation on its Draft Budget that includes some increases in charges as well as service cutbacks. Council Tax is to be increased by 4.99% and Council Tax Support for the vulnerable reduced.
The Council's website explains:
Councils across London are facing a series of unprecedented financial challenges, caused by a perfect storm of continued high inflation, rapidly increasing demand for services and reduced government funding since 2010.
Across all budgets and service areas, London Councils estimates that boroughs will overspend on their original budget plans by over £600m in 2024/25.
Brent is not immune to these pressures, with an expensive adult social care bill getting more so every year because of an ageing population as well as soaring levels of homelessness, with around 150 new families presenting as homeless most weeks.
On top of £222m of cuts made since 2010, a further £16 million must be saved in 2025-26 to balance the books.
The council has pulled together budget proposals which aim to protect the services residents rely on most as far as possible and protect the organisation’s longstanding healthy financial position. It is now asking for local people’s views on these proposals.
Proposals in the draft budget include:
- Increase charge for bulky waste collection from £40 to £55
- Increase garden waste annual subscription from £65 to £69
- A 4.99% increase in council tax, with 2% ring-fenced for adult social care
- Changes to our Council Tax Support Scheme: https://www.brent.gov.uk/news-in-brent/2024/october/council-tax-support-scheme-consultation-gets-the-green-light
View draft budget proposals: Issue - items at meetings - Draft Budget 2025/26
Harlesden Connects Online November 26th 6pm to 7pm
Kingsbury and Kenton Connects Online December 2nd 6pm-7pm
Kilburn Connects Online December 12th 6pm-7pm
Willesden Connects Online January 9th 6pm-7pm
Apart from the charges above there are other charges in the proposal including charging the elderly monthly for Telecare services (they vary widely across councils) and increases for mortuary and bereavement services. A £1m cut is based on wider use of reablement services to keep people from reliance on long-term care services and additional respite
capacity for individuals with learning disabilities and reduce reliance on residential
respite placements
Apart from the Environment Services fee rise above there is a proposal for a £5 delivery charge for new or replacement binsand a proposal to cease the subscription to the online Recyloped Schools which recieves 12,000 clicks a month.
A staffing and structural review of Public Realm posts results in the deletion of 3-4 posts which apparently will lead to 'local solutions for local problems.' I hope Scrutiny Committee will explore what that means.
It is proposed to use an agency for occupatioonal health service:
It is anticipated that a saving £100,000 could be delivered through the outsourcing of the OH contract. By switching to an external provider, we would only pay the costs for our actual usage. We also pay high agency rates as OH specialists are hard to recruit and there is a national skills shortag. There is a downside in the Risk Assessment:Reduced service and longer waiting times to be seen by an OH professional as the service won’t be inhouse and bespoke. This will be mitigated as far as possible through close monitoring of performance.
The deletion of 5 posts in Finance and Resorces is mitigated by 'automation'.
Check the list in Appendix below for the proposals and if you want more details note the reference number and go to Appendix B. Click bottom right corner for full page.
Appendix B - detailed proposals with risk assessments.
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